


Sanctuary

by Ryu_Reikai_Akuma



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, King Thorin, M/M, Secret Relationship, Uncle/Nephew Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 19:57:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16271258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma/pseuds/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma
Summary: The marble palace was many things. It was a political statement. It was a place for pleasure. It was an escape for stifling duties. It was also a place where they could stop pretending.





	Sanctuary

**Author's Note:**

> I found this [lovely](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awnKLpcsYLQ) [documentary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-UFjjYMEyQ) about Islamic gardens (two parts) and damn those are positively heavenly (yes, okay, I’m biased, but this is not a scientific paper so I can be as subjective as I like). Since I believe that Tolkien’s dwarves would love the geometry of Islamic designs, naturally I want to write something about the gardens. I wish I could modify the King’s Bride to fit my new knowledge, but since I couldn’t, here’s a new fic.

Kili closed his eyes and took a large lungful of cool night air. The distinct scent of ripe citrus and sweet scent of jasmine in bloom filled him, refreshing his fiery spirit, rejuvenating his boundless energy. Leaves of trees and shrubs shuffled against each other as a gentle breeze caressed them, the soft rustles merging with the sound of water running down rills that separated the courtyard into four identical parts and met in the round fountain in the center of it. It was a night music Kili would never tire of. It was nothing like the fast-paced joyful songs sung in taverns and celebrations or laments of warriors reminiscing battles fortunately long gone. There was peace there he could find nowhere else, along with a pull toward nature that was perhaps not unlike the pull many dwarves felt toward the earth. Listening to it, all his troubles seemed a world away. There was no regret for the past, no worry for the future. There was only the present, and it was peaceful.

Brushing wind-swept hair out of his face, Kili opened his eyes to gaze at the carpet of stars and the crescent moon above. The sight never failed to make him feel small. Whatever men or elves said, Kili was rather tall for a dwarf and never felt small even in the presence of other races. However, looking up to the vast sky dotted with millions of distant stars, surrounded by the scents and sounds and feels of nature, he couldn’t but be humbled. He was but a speckle of dust in this universe. His physique, his title, his experience, his knowledge were nothing. Rather than losing confidence, it reminded him of his rightful place, rid him of any trace of arrogance that so often plagued those in his station. It was a valuable reminder, one he believed everyone could benefit from.

The thought compelled Kili to sit up. He had been lying down on the stone floor of the courtyard for perhaps an hour now, but it was time to end his nightly ritual. A look to the towering pavilion behind him confirmed this. He stood up and left the courtyard to climb the stairs to the highest level of the marble structure. As he walked, he caressed the leaves of the citrus trees planted on sunken beds to grow to the height of a dwarf standing on the stone floor. A passing wind rustled jasmines which were planted amongst shrubs, making them ripple like waves in the distant sea and carrying the fragrance far beyond the courtyard. The water in the fountain was temporarily disturbed by the wind, but soon resumed its flow, bending yet unchanging. They urged Kili to stay and bask in the beauty of nature. However, Kili resisted them for a feast for his other senses.

There were guards scattered about the courtyard and the marble pavilion. Kili nodded and smiled to them. In Erebor, Kili was expected to treat the guards as little more than stone sentinels, but not here. Here, he could stop and converse with them freely if he wished to or even stand guard with them when the mood struck. Far from Erebor, they were almost equal and thus offered a small relief for when Kili longed for the harsher but decidedly simpler time when he sat among warriors, miners, criminal, merchant, toy maker, scholars, wizard and hobbit as peers. Of course he couldn’t fully recapture the feeling now that Erebor had been reclaimed, when finally he was a prince truly, one with a proper title, wealth, and kingdom. Still, Kili tried to experience the relative freedom and joy again whenever he could and to this small palace he fled when the need pressed for a brief escape.

The guards at the bottom of the stair leading to the highest level of the pavilion nodded to Kili when they saw him, a silent confirmation that the dwarf he wanted to see was only a flight of stair away. Kili walked even more quietly then, not to surprise but as to not ruin the peace. It was because as he reached the level, he could see perhaps the most magnificent view he had ever seen after the views from the balconies of Erebor. At the highest level of the pavilion, in the four directions of the wind, he could see the restored Laketown, distant Greenwood, quiet hills, and majestic peak of the Lonely Mountain. Even at night, it was still absolutely breathtaking. The lights from the sleepless Laketown were reflected on the river it stood upon, the impossibly tall trees of Greenwood served as a reminder of a powerful ally in the constant uncertainty of Middle Earth’s politics, the rolling hills teased the wealth residing upon and within it that Kili believed they had barely scrapped on, and the Lonely Mountain was the undeniable prove of the great power of the dwarf race that had defeated orcs and dragon and greed.

Kili must pause to properly take in the unrivaled view. If the courtyard reminded him of his smallness, being here reminded him of the greatness of his heritage and his responsibilities. He was a prince to all this! He must protect it, prosper it, defend it with all his being! How truly lucky he was to be born a Durin’s Folk! What a privilege it was to be able to say that he was a member of the family that had beaten adversity, turned desolation into opulence, and ruled this kingdom in peace!

Of course Kili was overestimating his own importance. In truth, the one who carried out the most duties was the King under the Mountain himself, while Kili was merely following his commands. That was in fact why they were here in this small palace instead of Erebor: to be away from all those exhausting duties even for a while. Yet, the plan didn’t fully succeed because Kili found, framed between richly carved marble pillars, Thorin looking at the Lonely Mountain, no doubt thinking of all the things he should be doing presently and must do the minute he arrived home in Erebor. Shaking his head in amusement, Kili joined him. Thorin stirred when he stood beside him, but said nothing. He had a slight air of broodiness, but that was the norm for him and, further, peace still overcome whatever was troubling him. Kili wasn’t too worried. There had been and would be nights he had to distract his king and remind him to enjoy the fruits of his decades of hard labors, but tonight wasn’t one of those nights.

“Have you missed home already? We’ve only been here a week!” Kili exclaimed laughingly.

Thorin smiled, though he didn’t turn to look at Kili. “I’ve been gone from home for a long time.”

“I promise I won’t keep you here for more than a month!” Kili teased him. “Fili will go mad if we leave him alone for too long.”

“He could use the practice of kingship,” Thorin opined. Finally, he turned to Kili, a hint of playfulness in his countenance was illuminated by the torches that lighted the place. “Won’t it bore you to stay here for a month? I still remember how you begged to be allowed to travel away from Ered Luin every couple of weeks.”

“There are so many things to do here, so many things to see. I wonder how Laketown has changed since we last saw it last year.” He looked at the town sitting on the calm lake, easily visible from the hill the palace was built on. Far from the decrepit fishing town Kili had first seen, it was now a flourishing floating city boasting unique beauty, excellent arts, fair trade, and, of course, fat fishes. All races flocked the city, the new meeting point of the races of men, dwarves, and elves, and it was predicted to one day surpassed the rebuilt Dale, another testimony of Thorin’s successful reign. “Wasn’t it at this time of the night that we first arrived at Laketown? I was so sure we would be found by the guards!” Kili laughed.

As time passed, the memory of the long, difficult and dangerous quest became a fond memory, something to retell and share with future generations as lessons and entertainment. Even Thorin managed to summon a small smile when he recalled what he deemed a rather degrading experience. “Perhaps. It was too foggy to tell the time and being buried under fishes didn’t make it easier.”

“I swear I smelt like fishes for days afterward no matter how I washed myself. At least Fili had a hint of apple to keep him from being sick!”

“And look how your brother hates apples even to this day.” Thorin chuckled. His mood soured a little when he turned toward Greenwood in the distance. Unlike Laketown, it had barely changed, although some said gloom had been removed from the forest. Dwarves remained suspicious of the magical place and even Thorin was reluctant to visit to reinforce his renewed alliance. The memory of endless hours in the dungeon had forever tainted the place in his mind and Kili couldn’t blame him for it. “I’m glad we managed it out of that accursed place.”

“So do I,” Kili said solemnly, knowing it wasn’t time for jokes. “I’m glad we managed to reach Erebor on time.”

“You almost didn’t, though, did you?” He paused and the tone of his voice when he spoke next was carefully controlled. “How is that… friend of yours? Tauriel? She hasn’t visited for a while.”

“She’s been busy, but I’ve sent her a message to tell her of my coming here. She said she’ll try to meet me in Laketown.”

The subject was a sensitive one, even after Kili announced that he had mistaken curiosity for attraction. He never apologized for the friendship formed because of it, but some still frowned about his closeness to an elf maid. Even Thorin who never once questioned his loyalty struggled to accept the friendship. He did try, however, as proven by his next words.

“If she can visit, why don’t you ask her to come here? I’m sure she’ll love the view and the courtyard.”

“You would have her here?” Kili asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Thorin confirmed calmly. “Is that not the reason you proposed the construction of this palace, for indulging pleasures? Is meeting a friend not one of such pleasures?”

Kili laughed. “Indeed it is a pleasure! I object to your accusation that I only have pleasures in mind when I made the suggestion, however!”

Indeed Kili had something other than pleasure in mind when he came upon the idea. It was one most dwarves wouldn’t even think about, but he considered very important. Kili wanted to build a symbol of unity and peace in a land far too long ravaged by darkness and greed. The selected location was the point where the dwellings of men, elves, and dwarves met, overlooking the vast and beautiful land they were all equally responsible for. The materials were green marble sent directly from Erebor, the plants were gifts from the elves, and the water came from the river where men found their livelihood. As a sign of respect to their allies, Kili had insisted on building the palace on a hill instead of carving the hill’s surface as dwarves usually did. But that didn’t mean he had forgotten his dwarf heritage, as he also made vast rooms and halls underground as a shelter from the force of nature. The courtyard was designed to be familiar to the alliance, filled with small flowers, thick trees, and carefully cut greeneries. He wanted it to be a place where everyone of every race felt welcomed, respected, and appreciated. The first time Thorin invited the Elvenking and the Bard to a meeting in the palace, Kili had almost burst with pride.

However, outside of politics, only close relatives and members of the company had been invited to come to the palace. Tauriel was an elf and a captain of guards. She wasn’t usually the sort of person allowed into the palace without official reasons, so for Thorin to extend an invitation to her was very uncommon. The significance wasn’t missed by Kili and he knew Thorin knew this because he looked away, hiding whatever expression he had on his face. Kili smiled widely and told him a secret he had kept for almost two years.

“I’m sure she’ll be delighted to come. You will join us when she visits, won’t you? She’s wondered about you after everything I’ve told her.”

Thorin stilled. “I see,” he said cautiously. “And what does she think about what you’ve told her?”

Kili shrugged, recalling the stunned silence and weeks of tense conversations. “She takes it rather well after some time to get used to it.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Thorin said quietly, gazing at the Lonely Mountain in the distance.

Kili didn’t say anything. There was another reason he asked for the construction of this palace, one that he had never shared with anyone. It was more than a place to indulge in earthly pleasures and entertain and impress allies. It was also a place to be true to themselves away from judging eyes. As much as both Kili and Thorin had perfected the art of masking their real thoughts and feelings, they needed to cease the lies sometimes. Of course there were still guards and attendants before whom they had to perform, but they were often kept away from the private parts of the palace, leaving king and prince alone to put aside station and blood and be lovers. Here, Kili and Thorin could find the safe privacy they longed, lied and struggled for. This was how Kili envisioned paradise, a place to be near everything they held dear and yet be true to their hearts.

If only there was someone to blame for the fact that they needed this retreat, but there wasn’t. This wasn’t a case of misplaced prejudice or long-held hatred. With love he and Thorin had violated many norms and traditions. They weren’t supposed to fall for each other. Kili’s infatuation should’ve been innocent admiration and Thorin’s favoritism should’ve only reflected his wish for a carefree upbringing. But, a genuine affection grew, richly hued with romance, devotion, and lust, and from there, there was no turning back. There was no undoing what their hearts had chosen. Distractions were fleeting. Attempts to deny themselves failed. Eventually, they accepted their feelings and the necessary secrecy, but every day they longed for a respite, for open arms, for understanding. Kili was an optimistic dwarf, but he knew that a truthful life was unlikely to ever be his, that the only way he could experience that dream was in this haven he made for himself and Thorin.

“Fili has mentioned to me his attachment to Dain’s niece,” Thorin suddenly said.

“Yes, he’s told me as well. I believe he plans to propose, though I know not when.”

Thorin nodded. “I think in not too long. He seems completely smitten and the lady, I’ve been told, feels the same.”

Kili smiled, thinking of the few opportunities he accompanied Fili on his visits to see her. He might be clueless in some regards, but he knew love when he saw it and it was love that the couple had. “They are in love,” he said wistfully, trying not to think of how easily and freely Fili and his lady had displayed their affection for each other.

It seemed that Thorin understood his feelings, as he gave him a soft look. “Good. It is great luck to find love, especially in our stations.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Kili said sincerely, for he had no regret, even though he had to hide to whom his heart belonged.

“When Fili is married, or maybe after he has his first child, I want to tell our family about our own attachment.” Thorin declared this as he declared his decrees when he was sat upon his throne while wearing his raven crown: with full certainty and resolve. “With your permission of course.”

“Oh.” Kili’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

“When my line of succession is more secure, there should be less opposition. Of course we still have to rely on people being as understanding as your friend—Tauriel.” Thorin gave him a small smile, timid but hopeful nonetheless and Kili’s heart swelled at the sight of it. “Even if they don’t approve, that should still allow us some freedom. I know you’re tired of pretending. I hope we won’t have to pretend quite as much as we do now.”

Kili began to laugh. His heart raced so quickly that he almost found it hard to breathe. He understood the implication of what wasn’t spoken. They couldn’t tell their people. They couldn’t risk Thorin’s sovereignty for something as trivial as romance. But, at least among close family they wouldn’t have to withhold their touches, their gazes, their smiles, their feelings. Even if they faced disapproval – which was still a possibility – what a life it would be. Kili didn’t want much. He never wanted to be seated next to Thorin as his consort, to be wedded to him before hundreds of lords, to be paraded and honored as a king’s husband. He just wanted, more than anything, to not hide how much he loved Thorin and how much he was loved in return. He just wanted the right to love, and he might one day have it, after all.

“Nothing is for certain,” Thorin reminded him, smiling gently. “Even if it works, there will be limitations still.”

“I don’t care,” Kili laughed. His eyes were a little glassy, though not due to sadness or frustration. “I like this plan.”

Thorin nodded decisively. “Then, we’ll do it, but for now we must wait.”

“I can wait,” Kili assured him, grinning so widely he felt his face would split. He wiped his eyes roughly with the back of his hand, feeling silly, but also ecstatic.

“Can you?” Thorin murmured smilingly as he took Kili’s hand in his.

Thorin was the steel that had many times saved Kili, gold he would protect with his life, sun he couldn’t live without, moon he admired, earth that grounded him, water that sustained him, and air he breathed, and Kili loved him more than he loved all of them combined. “For you I can,” Kili declared.

And there, before everything they held dear, Kili kissed Thorin tenderly. It wasn’t long or passionate, but it conveyed all there were to convey: promises, love and devotion. As Kili pulled away to look into Thorin’s warm eyes, a strong gust of wind carried the scents of citrus and jasmine to envelop them. Leaves rustled, punctuating the serene music of flowing water. The flames of torches danced, threatening to flicker out but managing to remain burning. In the fragile protection of their sanctuary, Thorin and Kili stood, quietly facing the unknown and unknowing world, hand in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually have jasmine in my house and I have to admit the scent gives me headache. Some people like floral scents, but I’m not one of them. Anyway this was almost titled Small Paradise after "garden of paradise", but I wasn’t sure whether the concept of paradise could work in Tolkien’s works (I know heaven doesn’t exist there) and I’m too lazy to look it up. So.
> 
> Feel free to say hi to me or scream about this ship with me on [my tumblr](http://demonessryu.tumblr.com/)


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